M23 ex-leader renounces rebel activities

The former M23 rebel president, Jean-Marie Runiga, has openly renounced all political activities and any issues that can be affiliated to armed groups.

â€œI, Jean-Marie Rugerero Runiga, hereby willingly and permanently renounce all political activities that can be associated to armed groups…,â€ he swore during an event attended by members of the diplomatic mission in Rwanda and international agencies.

Runiga signed the oath willingly while requesting for refugee status from UNCHR.

He and other rebel members fled to Rwanda in March 2013, after serious fighting broke- out between M23 two rebel factions. A group of 1,500 fighters led by Brig. Gen. Sultani Makenga, pushed Runigaâ€™s group of 682 rebel fighters to neighbouring Rwanda.

Runiga and other former rebel officers, Colonel Innocent Zimurinda and Brig. Gen Baudoin Ngaruye, also asked the UN to speed up the process of granting them refugee status, saying that they felt uneasy staying in camps.

The event was also witnessed by Rwandaâ€™s Minister for Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, Seraphine Mukantabana, who said that Rwanda would respect the international convention governing refugees. The Minister was responding to questions by diplomats on what would be the implication of status change by the ex-combatants to the DRC.

She dismissed as untrue reports alleging that some former rebels had fled back to the Eastern Congo to join DRC rebels.Â The minister told diplomats and reporters that all ex-rebel members that fled to Rwanda were still in the camp, including former leader Jean Maria Runiga.

On receiving refugee status, the ex-combatants will be granted permission move freely or be taken to suitable refugee camps across the country.